Abstract

On 4 May 1978, the SADF launched a military attack on Cassinga, in the South of Angola, which was a base for the military wing of SWAPO. In what would later be described as a successful parachute operation, elements of the SADF had attacked and conquered the military base. This article will examine to what extent this operation would still have been possible without the active participation of the South African Airforce. The conclusion reached is that the role of the South African Airforce was crucial and that without their participation, the operation would have been predestined to utter failure.